Welcome,
And I hope that each one of you will come to find peace within yourself.
Today I want to talk a little bit about healing.
This meditation is based on the live session that I did on October 15th.
Healing is such a complex subject.
There's physical healing from wounds or surgeries or injuries,
But then there's also healing from emotional problems,
Breakups or conflicts,
From things going wrong in our lives.
There's also the healing we have to experience when we have a loss like the death of a loved one.
You've heard me say many times before that all the things we strive for are just points along the same path.
Things like letting go,
Staying in the present moment,
Being kind to ourselves,
Having self-acceptance,
And being our authentic self are just some of those points along this path,
And in a way all of them are related to our healing.
Because in order to have true healing,
You have to accept yourself,
And you also have to let go of judgments,
Either your judgments or the judgments of others.
And true healing can only happen when you stay in the present moment and are kind to yourself.
That's why I always say that the things that we strive for are all just points along the same path,
And when you find one of them,
You can find them all.
Close your eyes now,
And let's start to get in touch with our breath.
Just breathing in and breathing out,
One breath at a time.
As we start to breathe,
Let's scan our body.
Unfurrow your brow,
Relax your face,
Unclench your jaw,
Relax your neck,
Relax your shoulders.
Those are places of tension in our world today.
Relax your arms and your hands.
Look for any tension in your chest and belly,
And relax your legs and your feet.
And as you begin to relax,
Let's focus even more on our breath.
We're just here breathing,
And our breath is our anchor.
Your breath is here for you in all moments.
Just breathing in and breathing out,
One breath at a time.
Just continue to breathe and listen to my voice.
When I had my strokes,
I was upset.
I was angry.
I had to be in the hospital four days a week for physical therapy and doctor's appointments.
I was frustrated.
And then I realized that I was holding all of these things close to me.
And when I really started to heal was when I could let go of those feelings,
When I could let go of the anger and the frustration,
When I could be kind to myself and accept what was going on as just a part of the new process,
The new me.
Here I'm going to pause for a minute and let you just breathe and think,
And then I'll be back.
Healing requires patience.
It requires self-compassion,
And it often requires a willingness to face uncomfortable truth.
It can be tough,
But it can also be deeply transformative.
And everyone's journey is unique and different.
Some people will want therapy and talking about their experience with others.
Others get creative in outlets like writing or art.
And then there are those who find solace in nature or building new relationships.
Ultimately,
Healing is about reclaiming your power and learning to love yourself again,
Flaws and all.
It's not a straight path,
But every step,
No matter how small,
Is a small victory.
I want to include a quote from Buddhist monk and teacher Thich Nhat Hanh,
Where he said,
Meditation can help us embrace our worries,
Our fear,
Our anger,
And that is very healing.
We let our own natural capacity of healing do the work.
Now as you're sitting there breathing,
Or standing there breathing,
Or lying down there breathing,
If you hear sounds in the room,
Just let them go.
They're just a part of the background.
And if you have thoughts,
Let those just drift by.
They're like clouds in the sky or waves on a lake.
For a few breaths,
I want you to breathe in through your nose,
Then hold for a count of four,
And then exhale through your mouth.
This will help to calm your mind and body.
So I'll get us started and just breathe along.
So here we go.
Breathe in,
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Exhale.
Breathe in,
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Exhale.
Breathe in,
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Exhale.
Last time,
Breathe in,
Hold,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Exhale.
And now just breathe at your normal pace and don't force anything.
Remember,
You're trying to breathe like you,
You're not trying to breathe like me.
Now as you're breathing,
Imagine a healing,
A golden healing light.
It's full of energy and it's beginning to envelop your entire body.
It's a warm,
Healing,
Golden light,
And it slowly flows from the top of your head right down to the tips of your toes.
And it's healing and soothing as it goes,
As it moves down your body until you're completely engulfed in this beautiful,
Gold,
Healing light.
And now if you feel up to it,
I'd like you to repeat these affirmations with me,
Either out loud or silently,
And I'll say each one twice.
I am healing.
I am healing.
I am strong.
I am strong.
I am at peace with myself.
I am at peace with myself.
And now as we're breathing here,
Let's just acknowledge the time that you've taken for yourself and the positive energy that you've cultivated.
Healing is a complex process and it's different for each one of us,
But you can heal and getting in touch with your breath can help.
Now as we come to a close,
Open your eyes and come back into the room,
Wiggle your fingers and toes and stretch and feel how good it is to be alive.
Every single day is precious.
Every day is special and every day is a good day if you're there to appreciate it.
Getting in touch with your breath multiple times a day will help bring you peace and calm and relaxation and healing.
I hope this has been a beneficial and calming session and I want to thank each and every one of you for taking time to share this moment with me.
Remember,
You have the power to change your life one breath at a time.
Breathing in and breathing out one breath at a time.
Till next time.
